Mint-Centered Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

Since winter seems to be taking a bit longer than usual to grace us with its presence this year, I decided to celebrate the new (and final!) month by conducting kitchen experiments. No matter that my mini-pies failed (yet) again, or my candy-cane brownies caused permanent damage to my toaster-oven—the success of these white hot chocolate cupcake makes all the baking damages worthwhile!

For this recipie, you will need:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar (Don’t forget, there’s also the hot chocolate mix, which contains sugar itself)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• A few packets of white hot chocolate powder (Cocoa powder works too, I think?)

• Chocolate pudding

• Chocolate-covered mint patties (I used about six)

• Marshmallows (four times the number of cupcakes you intend to make if you’re using mini ones, or half the number of cupcakes you intend to make if you’re using the big ones—which I don’t really recommend)

1) If you’re using the big marshmallows, cut each in half width-wise, so that you have two mini-cylinders (and not two semi-circular prisms)

2) Cut each mint patty into quarters.

3) Combine all the dry ingredients in one bowl. For those of you who’re unsure, “dry ingredients” are essentially the solid ones. Mix, and mix well.

4) Combine all the wet (non-solid) ingredients in another bowl.

5) Mix the two bowls of ingredients in differing states of matter together.
Stir this mixture very, very vigorously.

6) Line a few cupcake pans with baking cups. No need to butter them.

7) Fill the cups a third of the way to the top with the batter

8) Scoop a small spoon of chocolate pudding into each cupcake mold, on top of the batter

9) Using a fork (or chopstick), draw circles in the batter to swirl the pudding.

10) Fill the rest of the cupcake mould (until it’s 2/3 full) with more batter.

11) Press one quarter of a mint patty into each cupcake

12) Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (~160 degrees Celcius), until your cupcakes have half-set and still jiggle if you move the pan around.

13) Garnish each cupcake with half a marshmallow. If you’re using the smaller ones, use four. Ensure the marshmallows are somewhat centered on the cupcake, or the cake will rise and you will end up with a sugary, unpleasant mess in your oven.